President Barack Obama is on the verge of a major foreign policy
victory.
Supporters of
the Iran nuclear agreement are now just one vote shy of locking in enough
support to preserve the deal after two Senate Democrats said Tuesday they would
back it. Just about an hour apart, Sens. Chris Coons of Delaware and Bob Casey
of Pennsylvania announced their support.
Amidst growing
momentum for the deal, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations
Committee, Ben Cardin of Maryland, predicted that by the end of the week, Obama
will have secured the 34 Senate votes he would need to sustain his veto of a
resolution of disapproval Republicans are planning to bring up later this
month.
The steady and growing Democratic support comes despite nearly
unified opposition from congressional Republicans and a heavy and expensive
lobbying campaign by outside interest groups who fear the agreement isn't
strong enough and will allow Iran to eventually build a nuclear bomb.
"I am
voting to support this agreement not because I think it is perfect, or because
I believe it is the mechanism to end nuclear proliferation in the region. I am
voting for this agreement because it is our most credible opportunity now to
lead a global community in containing an existential threat while preserving
America's ability to use economic power and military might to successfully
dismantle a nuclear program should diplomacy fail," Coons, a member of the
Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said in an address at the University of
Delaware.
"I will
vote to support the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action
because I believe it is the best option available to prevent Iran from
acquiring a nuclear weapon," Casey said in a 17-page statement explaining
his position. "It places strict limitations on Iran's nuclear program,
requires robust monitoring and verification measures, and grants relief only
from nuclear sanctions in exchange for verified actions on Iran's part."
Cardin, speaking
to a group of Johns Hopkins University students even before Coons and Casey
made their public announcements, predicted ultimate success.
"The
President will have at least 32 committed Democrats on his side by the end of
today and that number looks like will clearly get to the 34 number by the end
of the week," he said.
Cardin, who is
influential on international affairs, has not said how he will vote. He worked
with Republicans to ensure Congress would get a vote on the deal, something the
Obama administration initially opposed and has warned will kill the deal. He
lamented that the lobbying "has been intense on both sides."
"I think
it's a tough call," said Cardin. "I think there are high risks either
way."
Cardin is a senior Jewish senator, and some of the most vocal
opposition to the Iran deal has come from Jewish constituents and pro-Israel
organizations.
More senior
House Democrats also endorsed the Iran agreement on Tuesday. Rep. Adam Smith of
Washington, the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, released a
statement saying he backed the agreement. Maryland Rep. Elijah Cummings, the
highest-ranking Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, also said he would
vote for it. Illinois Rep. Bobby Rush and New York Rep. Hakeem Jeffries
announced their support, too.
House Democratic
leadership aides continue to express confidence they will secure enough votes
to uphold a veto in the event that a resolution blocking the deal is sent to
the President's desk.
Only two
Democratic senators, Chuck Schumer of New York and Robert Menendez of New
Jersey, have announced opposition to the deal. Just under a dozen Democratic
senators remain unannounced.
Coons said he
spoke to all the remaining undecided senators, but declined to predict how they
will vote.
Only one
Republican senator is considered a possible vote in favor of the bill. Sen.
Susan Collins of Maine will announce her decision next week, according to her
staff.
"She
remains concerned about some key aspects of the agreement, including the lack
of a good inspection regime, which will make verification extremely difficult,
and the lifting of the embargoes on conventional arms and intercontinental
ballistic missile technology," her office said in a recent statement.
Supporters of
the deal hope to get at least 41 votes to block the disapproval resolution from
even coming up for a final vote in the Senate.
"I think
that will be a very close call," Coons said when asked about that Tuesday.
House
Republicans could schedule a vote as early as next week on the GOP resolution
to scuttle the deal, but no decisions have been made yet, according to a senior
House GOP leadership aide. If it becomes clear that 41 or more Democrats signal
they will filibuster the resolution in the Senate, the House is likely to move
ahead with a vote soon after Congress returns from its summer recess.
Senate leaders
have not said when they will vote. There is a statutory deadline of Sept. 17,
but votes may be scheduled several days before that because a Jewish holiday
and a Republican presidential debate are complicating the timetable.
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